


All We Really Need Is Us

by AllofReylo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Awkward Ben Solo, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirting, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, New Years, Party, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Shy Ben Solo, Soft Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22262596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllofReylo/pseuds/AllofReylo
Summary: Ben Solo lives with his friend & roommate Armitage Hux. Armitage Hux is as pretentious as it gets. Ben Solo is completely uninterested in Hux's fancy snobby elitist New Year's Eve party... until he meets Rey.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 98
Collections: Ben and Rey Multiverses, Reylo, Reylo modern!AU trash, reylo trash





	1. Preparations

**Author's Note:**

> _when two minds click  
>  and two souls connect  
> and two bodies fit  
> there is nothing left  
> for the hearts to do  
> ...but fall_ \- L.P

Armitage Hux dressed himself in his finest black tuxedo. Of course he would. An occasion such as New Year’s Eve would not go by without the pretentious ass draping himself in expensive Gucci... or was it Armani? Bought of course. Hux would not embarrass himself by hiring a suit. No, it had to be owned.

A shirt as crisp and white as snow, pressed perfectly, adorned his tall, slim torso, while the lengthy coat tails covered his rear end. Smart black leather shoes enclosed his feet, shined to perfection, probably costing about as much as the tux. His fiery hair was slicked back and his face as smooth as a baby’s butt, owing to a fresh shave.

Ben could hear soft jazz music drifting into the living room from the kitchen, playing on the battered old radio unit which miraculously still seemed to work, and the clinking of champagne glasses as his ginger roommate prepared for the evening ahead.

To say that Ben was a total contrast to Armitage was an obvious understatement. Slouched on their grey corduroy sofa, dark hair a mass of lazy, messy curls, Ben was dressed in a pair of joggers and an oversized hoodie, playing Xbox while Hux ran around setting up the apartment.

“Fuck! Motherfuckers!” Ben groaned out, having lost yet another match on his game. He was beginning to feel tired and irritated and wondered why he carried on playing when all it did was worsen his mood. If he didn’t occupy himself with his games console, however, he knew his roommate would end up roping him into helping with preparations and he really wasn’t in the mood for doing that.

He was actually surprised Hux had not nagged at him to get off the game and “be a little more helpful” with things. Maybe Hux knew it really wasn’t his thing, but he wasn’t usually in the habit of letting Ben off the hook so easily.

As if on cue, Hux marched through the living area, clearly in a mood with Ben, “For goodness sake, are you STILL on that blasted game? Can’t you at least try to help out a little, you know how important this night is.”

Ben rolled his eyes as Hux fussed around him, picking up old snack wrappers and empty Red Bull cans which had been left lying around, sighing as he went. A sigh which suggested cleaning up after Ben was a regular occurrence, yet not something he was ever going to get used to.

Ben knew what Armi was probably thinking; that he was a lazy layabout. But the way Ben saw it, it was as much his apartment as it was Hux’s. He paid half the rent so why shouldn’t he be allowed to do as he pleased in his own home?

Armitage walked over to the utility closet, retrieving a hand-held Dustbuster and began hoovering up the crumbs around Ben’s feet. Ben snorted, his attention fully fixed on his game, not caring to even move as Hux hoovered the couch cushions around him.

Hux wanted the place to look like a palace and it was seriously inconveniencing Ben’s game time. He felt tired just watching Armi bustle about frantically. He had no interest whatsoever in the night ahead and would’ve been far happier to lay on the couch eating takeout, watching trash television and jerking himself off to end the night before pulling a throw over himself and eventually passing out.

But it wasn’t to be. Ben lifted his legs off the floor, as if to help Hux but soon nestled back into the sofa, despite the fact Hux wasn’t finished cleaning.

“Ben!” he groaned, infuriated at Ben’s purposeful unhelpfulness.

“What?” Ben asked coolly, a small smirk on his lips.

Armitage stood up straight, shooting Ben a look of disbelief. “Are you serious? Why are you deliberately trying to sabotage me? Look at you... look at the filth you live in. How can you even stand yourself? I mean... no offence Ben, but I can smell you from the kitchen. Can’t you at least go take a shower or something, I mean...”

“ALRIGHT! Jesus Christ!” His roommate’s voice was beginning to go through him and he’d now gotten to the point where he just needed him to shut up. He got up, flinging his Xbox controller onto the couch and storming off to the bathroom. “Whatever it takes to shut your damn mouth up!” Ben shouted as he strode up the stairs.

“Please dress yourself appropriately.” Hux called out, “We have important guests coming over. And wash that mess you call hair!”

“Whatever.” Ben bellowed in reply.

A satisfied smile spread across the redhead’s mouth, accompanied by a happy sigh, “Well... finally,” he muttered, despite Ben no longer being within earshot. He carried on, putting away the games controller and switching off the console and television before he continued hoovering up the crumbs on the floor and couch before removing the couch cushions, fluffing, plumping and rearranging them.

He stood back and pondered for a moment, before raising a hand and pointing a forefinger into the air, a lightbulb moment. He returned to the kitchen and opened the cleaning cupboard to retrieve the Febreze, before marching back to the couch and spraying it generously. He straightened up again to admire his handiwork. “There we go. So much better. How that pig can lounge in his own filth, I shall never understand!” he sneered.

With Ben out of the way, Armitage finished getting the apartment ready for his forthcoming party. He put up the last of the decorations, checked on the canapés and lastly brought in the ice buckets and trays of champagne glasses. He’d just about managed to keep the rest of the place in order despite his chaotic roommate.

“Please let tonight go without a hitch,” Armitage muttered under his breath, still fussing around, making everything just so.

Ben returned, fresh from the shower, only half dressed, roughing up his hair with a towel which was half draped around his bare shoulders. He walked down into the living room to find Hux dusting the tops of the picture frames with a mini fold away feather duster, a sight which tickled Ben to no end. “Hahaha, seriously? I doubt your fancy socialite friends are gonna look at the tops of the photo frames, you pretentious ass!”

Armitage got into the nooks and crannies, examining them closely as he did, ensuring they were up to his standards. He stood back, straightening the positions of them as he spoke, without looking at his friend, “It would do you no harm whatsoever to employ some elegance, a bit of class, some poise perhaps.” Image and status were everything to Hux and it would do nothing for his reputation if his friends thought he lived in filth.

Hux would have preferred Ben out of the way for the night, but he knew it wasn’t really an option. While many people would be partying with friends, others would be visiting their families, and let’s just say that neither was really an option for Ben given the problematic relationship he had with his parents and not many friends to speak of. So, Armitage had little choice and he supposed, deep down, he felt a little sorry for Ben. Which was why he hadn’t pushed him to go elsewhere for the night.

Ben rolled his eyes as he continued into the living room. “Yeah and it’d do you no harm to get that giant stick out of your ass for once.”

Hux retracted his duster, stowing it away in his pocket before turning around to look at Ben. He recoiled, sneering and tutting as if the sight of Ben’s naked torso physically hurt him to look at. “For goodness sake, put your tits away” he huffed as he breezed past Ben, heading for the kitchen.

Ben smirked as he followed his friend, still towel-drying his hair, “Does my body make you uncomfortable?” Ben teased, probably a little too proud of his physique, a consequence of working out way too much.

“You know it does! Now go and finish getting dressed,” Hux replied without turning to face him. He carried on preparing the canapés and finger food for his forthcoming guests. Ben threw his towel on the floor in front of the washing machine before darting away again.

Armitage stopped in his tracks, bared his teeth and took a deep breath, before rubbing his fingers to his temples and slowly chanted his personal mantras, “I am in control of my actions and emotions. I am in control of my life. I will not let the stupidity of others overthrow me. I am strong. I am confident. I can do anything I set my mind to. Tonight will be a success.” He breathed in and out until he felt calmer and then he scooped up Ben’s old towel and threw it into the washing machine before continuing his preparations.

A quarter of an hour later, Ben re-emerged from his room dressed in his finery. His was hired, unlike his snob of a roommate. Ben would never waste money on such a thing as an expensive suit. Why bother? There were so many better and cooler things for spending money on. He grudged paying for the suit hire as it was.

This time, Armitage stopped what he was doing to give Ben his full attention, to check him over and give the final seal of approval. He walked over to Ben and put his hands on Ben's arms, “Now this is more like it. Gosh, you should definitely dress like this more often. It suits you.” Hux complimented, as he brushed down Ben’s arms, making sure there were no stray hairs or debris of any kind on his clothing. “Think how good you’d feel, and how popular you might even become.”

Ben tugged at his bowtie, feeling strangled by it, “How could this possibly make anyone feel good? And… I don’t need popularity. This is stifling, how can you even stand it?” Ben looked physically revulsed.

“Needs must, Ben.”

It was as much a mystery to Ben as it was to anyone else why he did as his roommate told him. Ben thought Armi could seriously do with chilling the fuck out, but he was still his friend. They’d been friends since college. The two men could not be more different, yet somehow, they complemented each other. Ben wasn’t into the whole fancy party thing, but he knew it must have been important to Armi seeing how he’d been dusting the tops of the picture frames, for fuck’s sake. Ben was also sure he’d seen Armi cleaning the corners and cracks of the floors with an old toothbrush earlier in the day.

As Hux picked at imaginary flecks of imperfections and dirt _(at this point, Ben did start to wonder if Armi had some kind of obsessive compulsiveness, rather than just being a perfectionist, or did the two go hand in hand?)_ , Ben asked, “Why is this night so important to you?”

“You know why.” Hux answered, not even looking at Ben, flitting around him, straightening up his trouser legs, and examining his shoes.

“But… _why_? Why do things need to be perfect? What’s wrong with imperfections? Why do you care so much?” Ben had gone through most of his life feeling like an outsider, perfection an unattainable goal, which he’d accepted at a young age. He rather liked his imperfections, didn’t care if people accepted him or not, just hoping that one day, the right person would love him, warts and all.

“There, **now** you’re presentable.” Armitage announced after he’d finished fussing, straightening up and carrying on with his food preparations.

“People need to see my hosting skills,” Hux began explaining, “it will be very beneficial to be seen in this type of setting. Imagine, being the talk of the town, everyone discussing this party for weeks afterward.” Armitage had a twinkle in his eye at the notion.

“But… literally, _why_? I mean, no offence but… Who cares?"

Hux thought for a moment, “Your torment on this has led me to believe…” he paused, turning to look at his friend, “I really don’t know why, there is simply this thing inside of me. This… **need**. I cannot explain it beyond that.”

Ben thought about the fact that Armitage had been an unwanted child. How his father had gotten his housemaid pregnant when he was married to someone else. How terribly Brendol Hux and his wife had treated the housemaid. It baffled Ben, how the wife had stuck by her shitty, abusive husband who clearly seduced or, God forbid, even forced the housemaid? Ben could barely believe the story when he first heard it, but the harsh realities never really got easier to swallow. 

Of course, the maid was blamed, fired and kicked out, left homeless and pregnant. Having nowhere else to go and no other family, she’d ended up in a homeless shelter, having Armitage taken from her and placed with his natural father and his wife after he was born. Mr and Mrs Hux had raised him out of obligation, nothing more.

Ben reflected on how Armi’s childhood had been a shitty one, filled with abuse and neglect, with daily beatings from his father and being ignored or ridiculed at best from his stepmother, always ready and waiting to tell him he was nothing more than a bastard, nothing but trash just like his whore mother.

Ben pondered this, soon putting two and two together about Armi’s obsessive need for acceptance, perhaps to prove in some bizarre backward way that he was in fact a worthwhile human being, and in particular from the types of people Armi associated with. If he nailed that, maybe he could prove, even to himself, that he was so much more than an unwanted bastard child.

* * *

Armitage had set up a table of drinks by the front door, where he stood welcoming his guests with a glass of champagne, who had been gradually arriving for the past hour. Men in tuxedos, women in overpriced satin, silk and charmeuse dresses, adorning hairstyles fit for royalty, the apartment soon a hustle and bustle of diamantes, bare legs and high heels, Ralph Lauren shirts and bowties.

Ben hovered on the side-lines, uninterested in engaging or interacting with the elitist snobs who were simply invading his home and personal space. He stood uncomfortably, one hand in his pocket, the other intermittently tugging at his bowtie, the snug fit of it strangling him. It was at that moment as he stood looking around his now barely recognisable home, observing these strangers sitting on his couch, eating tiny stupid things like salmon blinis and tomato tartlets, debating what his next move would be when he saw her walking in.

Rey. A girl who was friends with one of Armi’s associates, a Mr Poe Dameron. Was she just a friend? Or a girlfriend? A squeeze? A fuck buddy? Ben didn’t know much about her, he’d only seen her once before at a ridiculous dinner thing he had agreed to attend with Armitage at Poe’s house. That was over a year previously. Ben had gotten way too drunk to have spoken to her. Luckily for him, Ben wasn’t the ‘loud’ type of drunk. He drank when he was nervous, shy or outwith his comfort zone. But he stayed just as introverted, if not more so, when he got plastered. He’d definitely put it away that night, probably due to boredom and to blot out the monotony of it all.

Ben recounted the memory, almost as if to absolutely _make sure_ he hadn't made a fool of himself in front of her. He was certain he hadn't. Regardless, as she walked into the apartment, he sucked in a breath, straightened up, puffed his chest out and cleared his throat before running a hand through his hair, the shiny locks passing easily through his fingers. All subconsciously, of course.

He swallowed hard while his eyes roamed her body. She had shoulder-length dark hair, lightly curled, a slim, toned physique, complemented by a tight black party dress cut to just above the knee. Ben was unsure of the material. A classy yet slightly risqué number which hugged her small frame just perfectly, Ben thought. Without realising, he’d fallen into a trance, the kind you see in movies where everything around the main character moves in slow motion, barely blinking as he watched her take a drink from Armitage, his eyes studying every crucial detail of her dress... how the cut shaped her so nicely, the material clinging to her ass, the hem of the dress ending in the middle of her thighs, accentuating her long legs. Ben imagined running his fingers up the back of those legs, slowly closing the gap between his hand and the hem of that dress...

His trance broke as he realised she’d come to the party with someone, another guy, whose arm was linked through hers. A guy who wasn’t Poe... Okay, so perhaps her and Poe weren’t together, but now Ben had to figure out where she was with this new guy. He noticed him chatting and smiling to Hux as he came in and Ben wondered why he didn’t know who the hell the guy was. He made a mental note to ask Armi about him later. 

As Rey casually walked by, she flashed him one of her amazing smiles and said “Hi Ben...” without stopping as her... date?... carried on into the living room. His heart flipped, rising up from his chest into his throat, causing him to stutter, “Uh... H-hi...” a few seconds too late and out of her earshot.

Ben closed his eyes, shook his head and sighed at his timing, curled his fists and gave a filthy look to Rey’s date before muttering a low “fuck” under his breath in frustration. _I need a drink_ , he thought. That was the only thing that was gonna get him through the night, he decided.


	2. Thievery

Five more ice buckets of champagne were lined up behind Armitage. Ben thought about how easy it would be to swoop in and steal one of the bottles and down half the contents before his roomie would even notice. So, that is exactly what Ben Solo decided to do.

He approached his friend, wrapping an arm around him, “Great set up, Hux, old friend, good party,” Ben said, patting his back, discreetly pilfering one of the bottles before scuttling off, leaving Armitage suitably confused.

Ben slunk off to a quiet corner, settling on a beanbag-chair on the floor, all the while thinking what a useless and pointless night this was. He tugged at his bowtie again, the beginnings of red marks appearing on his skin, hating every second of having to wear such a stupid get-up. Part of him wished he were the party type, or at the very least, had other friends. Maybe he’d have had somewhere else to go, some party somewhere with people who were more of his class; goths, nerds, stoners, rockers.

He even thought about his mom, a small pang of guilt niggling at him uneasily, wondering how she was and whether or not he should have stuck around after Christmas. He’d lied to her saying he had to get back to work, but now that lie was coming back to haunt him. One, because he pictured her all alone for New Year’s and two, for the fact he didn’t have a job right now. He hadn’t wanted to disappoint her.

He pushed the thoughts from his mind as he looked around at the snobs occupying his living quarters and huffed while shaking his head. He took a few large gulps from the bottle, forgetting just how bubbly champagne was and spluttering as the fizz permeated his nostrils.

He coughed, trying to regain composure. As he did, he heard a small feminine giggle. He immediately looked up to see Rey standing over him, that wonderful smile dazzling him. Every few seconds, she tittered and eventually tried to stifle her laughter.

Ben was on the defence, and straightened up. “What’s so funny?” he asked, no aggressive tone with her, simply curious.

“Oh, nothing, I just thought you were much better at handling your drinks,” she chided, those perfectly formed teeth beaming at him as she sank into the beanbag next to Ben. As she did so, she kicked off her heels, emitting a sigh of relief, “Blasted things!” she griped in her beautiful Queen’s English accent. An accent which Ben had always found to be a massive turn-on. The fact that his lanky, ginger roommate had the same one hadn’t passed him by, but coming from him, it didn’t quite have the same effect.

How bold of her, he thought, considering most people feel uneasy with their feet exposed, leading him to believe she was already fairly comfortable in his company. He didn’t even mean to, but something in him compelled him to take a quick glance at her feet, and of course they were just as pretty as the rest of her, her short, neat toenails painted a light blue colour. Ben imagined running his fingers over them, her sweet little giggle prominent as his hand would glide up her tiny ankles.

He remembered himself, “I can handle my drinks just fine,” his deep voice crooned back at her.

“Sure,” she smirked, holding out her champagne glass as she made herself comfortable on the floor next to Ben, “So... would you like to share your stolen goods or not?”

Ben’s mouth partially dropped open. “It’s not _stolen_ ,” he whispered, “I... I live here too, and...”

“Relax Ben,” Rey said sweetly, as she carefully placed a hand on his thigh, an action that caused Ben’s skin to prickle, “...I won’t tell.”

Ben’s throat tightened, positive that he could feel his cock beginning to twitch as he blinked in succession, his gaze fixed on the placement of her hand. It took a moment or two for him to notice something creeping into his view at the corner of his eye and he quickly realised it was Rey’s other hand, gently swaying her champagne glass.

He shook his head back into focus, before grabbing the bottle and topping up Rey’s glass. His nerves got the better of him, his focus so intent on pouring Rey’s drink that he didn’t really think about what he was doing and before they both knew it, Ben had overpoured, the fizzy champagne spilling out over the rim of Rey's glass and onto the floor.

Ben felt an utter fool, a blush creeping onto his cheeks that was so strong, it climbed up his face, reaching the tips of his ears. He felt them burning, which did nothing but serve to make him even more nervous and embarrassed. _Why are you acting like such a tool, you dickhead?_ Ben chastised himself inwardly.

“SHIT!” he cursed “I’m sorry, I, uh...” he stuttered, trying to catch the drink in his hands, as Rey simply laughed softly at him.

Rey was cool, calm and collected. Ben was a nervous, stuttering mess, bumbling like an idiotic schoolboy. He’d never acted like this in his life and he wondered what the fuck had gotten into him. Maybe it was just because he wasn’t used to interacting with women... or at least, not ridiculously hot women with perfect teeth, pretty toes and who smelled _fucking beautiful._ It wasn’t until that moment that he’d realised just how pretty she smelled - a sweet blend of cherry and vanilla, he was sure.

Rey ceased her giggling but carried on smiling at Ben, finding him weirdly charming. “You should chill out a bit, man,” she said in an _I’m a hot-as-balls chick but still tomboyish enough to say that sort of thing to you, yet still feminine enough for it not to lose its allure_ kind of way. She casually opened up her purse, retrieving a tissue to soak up the mess.

He watched her clean up the mess and pat the area of the floor dry before handing a tissue to Ben for his hands, “No harm done,” she said calmly, taking the bottle and topping up her drink carefully. Ben watched in amazement, beginning to feel still and serene. He noted that her demeanour seemed to have a calming influence over him.

She held out the bottle toward him, waiting for his glass. “Oh erm...” he replied bashfully.

“Have you been drinking from the bottle?” she accused, despite the fact she saw him do so. 

There was the blush again. “N-no, I...” Ben tried to think quickly. There was a sideboard unit nearby, “Ah, yeah, hang on,” he told her as he leaned over to rifle through the drawers. He was sure he usually kept an old mug or a cup in there somewhere. However, to his dismay, the drawers had of course been totally cleared out by the obsessive ginger one.

“What are you doing?” she asked, curiously. Ben didn’t want to tell her that he would simply put dirty old mugs in the drawers because he was too lazy to take them to the kitchen to wash up.

He shrugged. "I... I don't know," he admitted and they both laughed after a moment. 

“It’s cool, I’ll get you a glass, wait here,” she said. He watched her practically dance across the apartment like a ballerina, dainty and graceful, swiping a glass from Armi’s welcome table before prancing back over. He couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy watching the way her body moved.

After she topped up his glass, Rey held hers up and said “Cheers.”

“What are we drinking to?” Ben asked.

Rey thought for a moment, her eyes cocking up to the side, before she looked back at Ben, grinning widely again before replying, “To new friends,” and Ben couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but he thought he saw Rey’s eyes travelling up and down his body.

“New friends,” he repeated as he clinked her glass and they both drank. Ben felt his cheeks heating up, this time from the alcohol as opposed to embarrassing himself. He wasn’t sure how to really speak to her. The ice was broken, but he was still nervous. Why had she come over and sat with him? Where was her date? He chewed the inside of his lip as he thought of what to say next.

“So, uh... the uh, the guy you came with...” Ben tried to sound as casual as possible.

Rey sipped her drink, her tongue running along the line between her top and bottom lip. “Yeah, what about him?”

Ben hoped Rey would have given away something more, without him having to ask. He was already fucking shy and nervous as it was, but this conversation was now making him feel extra awkward.

“Is he your um...” Ben stumbled, a hand rubbing his neck, his throat getting uncomfortably dry. He took another long swig of his drink, almost draining the glass. Rey noticed that the bottle was almost empty. She found his shyness adorable, patiently waiting for him to finish speaking.

"Is he your... boyfriend?" he finally managed.

Rey stared right back into Ben's eyes, “No,” she answered in a way that suggested she had been expecting such a question.

Ben's heart leapt as he tried not to break into a big, stupid grin. He was careful to keep his face neutral, whilst his heart danced inside. “Oh, right.”

“I don't have a boyfriend,” she added, “Finn’s just a friend, my best friend actually.”

“ _Finn_ ”, Ben echoed, trying his best not to glower. The name tasted terrible on his lips and just saying it felt like he was bringing up bile.

As far as Ben was concerned, he was doing an excellent job of hiding his disdain. Unfortunately for him, Rey could see right through him.


	3. Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben finds himself opening up to Rey...

Rey wasn’t stupid. She could see that Ben was attracted to her, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She’d have been lying if she said she wasn’t interested in him too. She found him intriguing and something of a mystery. He stood out to her  _ because  _ he wasn’t like everyone else,  _ because  _ he was shy and kept to himself. That’s what made him so fascinating to her.

Rey had no interest in showy people, the types of people who were at this very party. Initially she hadn't wanted to come to Hux's party, but Finn had begged her.

_ "Please Rey, I can't show up to this thing alone, I’ll look like a total loser with no date.” _

_ “Why don’t you take who you really want as a date, hmm?” _

_ Finn replied with a fake laugh. They both knew full well that Finn was secretly in love with Poe Dameron, however he didn't have the guts to tell him, or even admit his sexuality to anyone but Rey. _

_ Finn was stupidly private about that kind of thing, but it had all come to a head when the two of them had tried dating, which ended disastrously when Finn tried to kiss Rey and everything just felt so wrong. Finn couldn’t keep the charade going and soon confessed everything to her, explaining that he’d always tried to push those feelings away but they’d kept coming back to him. How he’d tried to ignore them and ‘make’ himself straight, but even with the most beautiful woman in the world, he couldn’t fake it. _

_ They’d laughed about their disastrous date, put it behind them and become best friends overnight, practically inseparable since. _

_ "Why do you even wanna go? You hate those assholes,” she’d asked. _

_ “I know, but…” _

_“Then why_ _do you associate with them?”_

_ “You know I have to, Rey.” Rey understood, it was for Finn’s job. He had to be seen with the ‘right’ people.  _

_ “Well, you don’t have to drag me into it.” _

_ “Okay,” Finn had said, not trying at all to win her over with puppy dog eyes and a droopy downturned smile. “I’ll just go by myself… all on my own. Into that pack of rabid wolves…” Finn was nothing if not dramatic. _

_ It didn’t take long for Rey to cave. She cared about Finn deeply and actually hated the idea of him being alone at the awful Hux party. “Jeez, alright, FINE, I’ll go. But I’m not talking to any of them, or being all fake.” _

_ Finn had already started jumping up and down on the spot, “That’s fine!” he grinned. “You’re the best!” he’d said before kissing her on the cheek. _

  
  


Rey had obviously been well aware that Ben lived with Armitage, though that hadn’t been the motivating factor in coming to the party. She wasn’t even sure if he was going to be there. But when she walked in and saw him, she was actually happy that she’d come and she fully intended on taking the opportunity to get to know him better.

It had been over a year since she’d seen him last and despite the fact that he’d been blind drunk with his head stuck in his phone most of the night, she’d noticed him. Even upon their initial meeting, she found him interesting and different, albeit somewhat socially awkward, introverted and, dare she say, withdrawn. Qualities that normally made people overlook him and others like him, but for Rey, those were her people. She acted confident and outgoing, making it easy for her to fit in with all types of social classes, but deep down, Rey felt much more at home with people who didn’t take life so seriously.

She thought about how she’d been interested in seeing Ben again after that first night, but she too was shy in her own way, and had never been one to chase a guy. She’d be the demise of her own happiness if it was left up to her, she mused. 

“I won’t lie,” Rey began, “I was just doing Finn a favour by coming tonight.”

“Oh,” Ben replied, unsure as to how he felt about that.  _ Just doing him a favour.  _ Did that mean she didn’t even want to be there? “Well, that’s… nice,” he answered, realising he felt slightly disappointed. Why, he wasn’t sure. But he thought about how he himself didn’t want to be at the party, then he speculated about how crazy it was that adults just  _ do _ things they don’t want to do, in order to make other people happy. People pleasers, that’s what he reckoned he and Rey were.

Ben noticed Rey’s eyes wandering around the apartment until her gaze stopped at the Christmas tree. She turned back to Ben, “So, how was your Christmas, Ben?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Oh… same old bullshit” he replied with a pseudo smile, sipping more champagne before rolling his eyes.

Rey sensed the hurt in his words and caught an expression of emptiness in Ben’s eyes. “Do you want to… talk about it?” she offered gently, after a minute or so.

Normally Ben would have said no, that he didn’t want to  _ fucking talk about it _ , but Rey’s natural caring side enticed him into opening up. She was soft and gentle and those were nice qualities and before he knew it, he just found himself telling her.

“Dad left,” he began, “It’s not the same, you know?”

Rey listened, and nodded, despite  _ not  _ knowing, having grown up as an orphan. She wasn’t sure if this was something that Ben knew.

“He and mom, they… it hasn’t been the same for years. They argue over the stupidest things. How to prep the turkey, how Dad picked out the wrong placeholders. It’s all bullshit. Christmas used to be… special. It wasn’t even about the presents, or the food. We’d all huddle together on the couch under a blanket and watch a movie, mom and dad holding hands because they were still so in love even after all these years.”

Rey listened carefully, taking in all the details of what Ben was saying, her head slightly cocked to the side in a sympathetic manner.

“It started about three years ago, I noticed they would sit on separate chairs. And we’d all watch the movie in silence. The presents still came. And the smiles. But I could see they were fake. I could see Dad’s eyes, totally vacant, wishing he were somewhere else. I’d hear mom crying in the kitchen, trying to make everything perfect. Like, if she had enough stuffing or cranberry sauce, maybe he wouldn’t leave.”

Ben paused, trying to hold it together. “I went home two weeks ago… I found mom crying… Dad was just… gone. It was the first Christmas without him.”

“Have you spoken to him?” Rey asked.

“Erm, no… he sent a text on Christmas Day, but I didn’t reply to it.” Ben ended the story there, his eyes getting misty.

Rey gently laid her hand on top of his. It was upon her touch that Ben broke and a tear fell. He sniffed, trying to pull back any more that might have dared to come, wondering why the  _ hell  _ he’d just opened up his heart to Rey. That wasn’t like him at all. He wiped his face with his sleeve, his emotions and feelings laid out bare.

Ben felt ridiculously vulnerable, not a feeling he was at all comfortable with usually. But, somehow with her, it seemed okay.

Regardless, Rey could see Ben trying to mask some of that emotion. “I’m so sorry, Ben,” she offered warmly, her condolence authentic, continuing to hold his hand. “You know, it’s okay to feel this stuff. It’s better to deal with the feelings rather than keeping them locked away.”

Ben had nothing else to say on the matter, so he simply nodded, appreciative of her sensitivity. A small part of him worried that he’d maybe made a mistake opening up to her, but something about her just made him feel safe, and it was a genuine moment of compassion between two fellow human beings.

Ben relaxed as he composed himself, “And how was your Christmas?” he returned.

Rey had her own world of pain going on, having to endure this damn holiday year after year, with no family whatsoever to share it with, having grown up in an orphanage and later in life, spending Christmas with whatever friends felt sorry for her enough to invite her over. Rey wasn’t spiteful, she really did feel for Ben, but she struggled with seeing families unable to work out their shit, not knowing how lucky they were to have each other. 

Regardless, Ben’s parents’ issues were not his fault and she wasn’t quite ready to share as deeply with Ben yet. “It was nice, thank you.” she replied, “I was with Finn and his family.”

“Oh… you don’t see your own family?” Ben asked.

“Don’t have any," Rey said matter-of-factly, while forcing a smile. 

Ben felt like an ass.  _ You stupid oaf _ , he chastised himself,  _ well done. _ “Oh… shit, sorry, I…”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine, Ben, don’t worry about it honestly.” It hurt of course, but she didn’t blame him. He couldn’t have known. And everyone has their own shit to deal with.

There was a moment of awkward silence and then Rey held up the champagne bottle, simultaneously shaking her near-empty glass. “We’re running low,” she simpered and she caught Ben’s eye, who returned a similar devilish smirk.

Rey looked playful as she bit her lip, “I don’t think we’d get away with stealing another one, do you?”

“Hmm, not likely,” Ben thought for a moment, “Ah, got a better idea, come on!” Ben outstretched his hand. Rey’s attention moved from his face down to said hand and a strange sort of fluttery feeling washed over her. It was new and exciting. She reached out, sliding her hand into his, looking back up to him with a smile as he pulled her along. Rey giggled, wondering what mischief Ben was planning, feeling giddy at the sense of adventure.

She had to admit, she certainly didn’t think the night was going to go this way. She definitely thought she’d be on her own, bored out of her wits trying to entertain herself, or trying to fend off the attentions of some snooty dullard who’d waste no time telling her she was ‘excellent wife material’. She’d never been to one of Hux’s parties, but she’d certainly attended plenty like it before.

As good a friend as Finn was, he had a habit of getting caught up at social events. Of talking to anyone and everyone. Social butterfly is what he was. And this party was exactly the sort of setting where he’d accidentally completely forget about Rey whilst mingling with the ostentatious assholes.

But she was having  _ fun _ . At one of Armitage Hux’s swanky parties, no less!

“Where are we going?” Rey asked, her heart thudding at the mere feeling of a man’s hand wrapped around hers. And not just  _ any _ man’s. Ben Solo’s. When had that become a thing? She took note of the fact that his hand felt so much bigger around hers, and how hers fit so snugly in his palm. She’d never experienced anything like that before. She’d held hands with Finn but, this was just…  _ different _ . The size difference was unmistakably noticeable. She took a sharp intake of breath as images flashed into her mind, images of her tiny body wrapped up in Ben Solo’s.  _ Jesus, Rey, calm down, when did you get so thirsty? _

He led her into the kitchen. “Let’s get a  _ real _ drink.” Ben’s eyes beamed.

Rey already felt a little tipsy. “You don’t think champagne is a real drink?”

“It isn’t my first choice,” he replied, letting go of her hand before he began searching one of the shelves.

“What are you doing?” she watched him, his eyes focused on the task at hand.

“Ah ha!” he cried out, “got it!” he said and held up a small key.

“What… is that?”

“Key for the liquor cabinet.”

Rey couldn’t help responding to Ben’s massive grin. She couldn’t deny that it was utterly mesmerizing. In fact, it wasn’t really until that moment that she’d noticed it properly. And my, what a smile. She loved the way his whole face lit up, the way his dimples shaped his mouth. His mouth… she was definitely focusing way too much on that mouth.

“Why does the liquor cabinet need a key?”

“Because my roommate is a total control freak,” Ben said with a serious look on his face, though his expression quickly turned and he was smiling again when he added, “and because he knows I like to steal from him.”

“Oh, Hux knows that, does he?”

“Oh yeah,” Ben confirmed.

“Why is the key so readily available then?”

“Oh… it’s not the main key. He has that on him at all times. I’m sure he even sleeps with it. But I made a copy.”

“Ben Solo!” Rey cried out, unable to hide her glee.

Ben leaned in toward Rey, an act that had her pulse quickening as wafts of his aftershave permeated her nostrils. He smelled so unbelievably good.

“He doesn’t know, shhhh!” Ben put his forefinger up to his lips. He peeked around the kitchen, checking the coast was clear before opening the cabinet and checking what was on offer.

“Gin… whiskey… rum... what’s your go-to?” he asked, his face buried in the cabinet.

“Anything really," Rey answered half-heartedly, her attention having moved onto the trays of blinis, clearly much more interested in food than drinks. She picked at a few bits before she said, “Is there anything proper to eat? This stuff wouldn’t fill up a mouse!”

Ben emerged with a bottle of whiskey and some white rum.

He laughed. “Um… I’ve got some meatball subs in the fridge.” Ben was a little embarrassed at his food choices all of a sudden, and especially for offering them to a lady like Rey. But he had nothing else.

“The ones you do in the microwave?” she queried.

Ben’s cheeks warmed up, “...Yeah.” he answered sheepishly.

He was about to apologise and offer to order in for them when he noticed her face light up as she exclaimed, “I bloody love those!” 

Ben’s eyebrows rose, “Really?”

“Really really,” she beamed back at him and she set about microwaving them before he even had a chance to tell her where anything was.

“But they’re so trashy. I mean… we could order in, if you like?”

“Trashy but filling. I practically lived off these for a while. The rib burgers too!”

_ Wow, what a woman,  _ Ben thought. “You can really eat,” he marveled.

“I love eating. I can’t stand when girls just live off salad and steamed fish, ugh. I mean unless that’s what you really like, but… live a little, you know? I didn’t get to indulge myself as a kid, so I guess you could say I’m making up for it now.” She paused before continuing, “Although can you imagine Hux's face if a pizza delivery turned up?” full on grinning at the notion.

Ben laughed, picturing Armi totally astonished, telling the pizza boy to ‘shoo’ away from his fancy party. “It’s almost tempting enough to order one just to see his face,” he added.

They both chortled before the triple-beep of the microwave interrupted them and Rey said “Maybe another time.”

Ben knew it was just a figure of speech but he couldn’t stop his mind wandering.  _ Another time _ . Did that mean she’d wanna hang out again? And play pranks on Armi? Excitement fizzed inside him at the notion that Rey was genuinely enjoying Ben’s company and would want to see him again,  _ another time. _

As Rey sorted out the subs, Ben grabbed a litre bottle of Coke from the fridge as a mixer for their drinks. “Is there anything else you want?” Ben asked.

“Erm…” Rey looked around the kitchen, “Got any cookies or anything like that?”

Ben laughed, “Tons. That cupboard there,” he tried to point, hands full with the drinks, “that’s the snack cupboard.”

Rey’s face lit up and she raided the snack cupboard, getting excited by everything she found. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed, picking out a pack of chocolate chip cookies, some M&M’s, potato chips and a couple of Tootsie Rolls.

Ben couldn’t keep the smile off his face, thinking how adorable Rey was being, likening her to a stoner with the munchies. He let out a giggle and she turned to look at him, face like a deer caught in the headlights. “Are you sure this is okay? Won’t Hux…”

“It’s all mine, don’t worry. Armi doesn’t eat ‘snacks’. Help yourself, I’ve more than enough.”

“You’re sure?”

“I wouldn’t say otherwise,” he reassured her.

She had suspended her rummaging, but was now back to it. Once she was satisfied they had enough, Rey asked, “Where shall we go to hide our… thievery? I mean, whilst I don’t care what these assholes think, we might gain a bit of an audience if we go back in with all this. Plus Hux is gonna rumble the spare key situation if he sees you with… that,” she nodded towards the bottles of spirits.

“You’re right.” Ben looked at the clock in the kitchen, seeing it was 11:20. “Hmm, it’ll be midnight soon,” he grimaced, “I seriously hate the countdown. We can go to my room if you want? Then we can just pig out.”

Rey beamed, “That would be awesome!”


	4. Sneaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The POV changes frequently in this chapter, from Ben to Rey, mostly because I struggled to stick to one POV, in order to write everything I wanted to. I wanted to be able to show both sets of emotions with the characters and struggled to do that another way without writing two versions of the chapter.
> 
> You'll recognise a POV change by a line break :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the 11 month wait for this update. This year has been hard for everyone, but despite having all the time in the world during lockdowns and what-have-you, the writer's block has been incredibly strong with this one, and the crippling self-doubt has been even stronger.

Ben and Rey cautiously exited the kitchen, with Ben taking the lead, using his stature to conceal Rey. “Stay close behind,” he whispered over his shoulder. Rey smirked into Ben’s back, taking full advantage of keeping herself tucked in behind him.

The stairs weren’t far away and fortunately, Hux was distracted, playing server to his guests with trays of food. Ben was surprised he hadn’t gone that extra step and hired help, which seemed very Armitage, but Hux was also the type of person to want to show off and prove he could do everything himself. To play all the roles in his big night.

Rey struggled to stifle another chuckle when she saw him, “He’s like a cartoon character,” she commented.

“You ought to try living with him!” Ben responded.

“Hmm… no I’m okay thanks.”

When he was satisfied the coast was relatively clear, Ben led Rey towards the stairs. “This way,” he guided her. He checked back every few seconds to ensure she was following and also that no-one had spotted them. Not that anyone would probably care if they did see them. He snickered to himself at the amount of snacks Rey had brought as she tried her best not to drop any.

“This is such an amazing apartment,” Rey marveled. “I didn’t even realise you had stairs at first. The size is rather misleading from the outside.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s the good thing about being on the top floor, it’s only the apartments up here that have two levels. Ridiculous rent though,” Ben answered.

“Ah, of course.” Rey replied.

They walked along the corridor, arriving at Ben’s room a moment later. Ben opened the door and gestured for Rey to step in first. He followed her inside before closing the door and turning the key which lived in the lock. Rey immediately made her way to Ben’s bed, unloading the snacks onto it before bounding over to the massive bay window.

Ben placed the drinks on his dresser and turned to see Rey pressing her nose up against the window, staring out into the night sky.

“Wow,” she exclaimed.

“What?” Ben asked, watching her closely as he slowly approached.

“It’s just such a beautiful view,” Rey marveled as she took in the sight of the stars. Ben bit his lip as he stared at the back of Rey, unable to think of anything but how good her legs looked in that _goddamn_ dress. “It sure is,” he agreed, most definitely not talking about the stars.

Rey turned to look at Ben but he’d already averted his eyes so he was in the clear, for now. He trawled through the snack selection, trying to decide what he had a hankering for. Well, he knew _exactly_ what he had a hankering for but it wasn’t splayed across the bed… yet. _Jesus Christ, Ben, get your mind_ **_out_ ** _of the gutter,_ he shook his head, trying to keep his unadulterated thoughts at bay.

Ben opened up the Cheetos and poured out the drinks. “Whiskey?” he asked Rey, trying to entice her from the window.

“Sure,” she replied, turning her attention back to the night sky.

Ben topped up the drinks with Coke and began munching the snacks. His bed was positioned in one of the corners of the room, which allowed him to use the wall as a backrest, so he made himself comfortable and waited for Rey to join him.

* * *

Despite being mesmerised with the view, Rey’s stomach began to grumble and the sheer volume of it made her giggle. Ben stopped crunching, turning his head slowly to stare at her. “Was that your stomach?” he asked in amazement.

“Uh… yeah,” she continued to chuckle, “haven’t eaten since lunch,” she explained. She stepped towards the bed, sitting on the edge and swooping her legs up onto it, grabbed a sub and scooted her behind backward until she was side-by-side with Ben. He handed over her drink and raised his glass to her.

“Cheers again,” she motioned before taking a drink and tucking into her food. They ate in a strangely comfortable silence, every now and again glancing at one another and smirking or chuckling at their secret activities.

* * *

“Mmm, this is the stuff,” Rey practically crooned between bites, “those fools don’t know what they’re missing,” referring to the other party guests, Ben assumed. He was just glad she was so happy. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through him in response to the oddly casual intimacy they were sharing. Ben noted how ‘homely’ it felt. And he rather liked that.

After having some food, Ben and Rey stayed on the bed for a while simply talking, getting to know more about one another. Ben talked about his childhood, his teen years, his college years, a little more about his parents and his family home life.

The level of comfort he felt around her led him to open up about the time he spent working at his uncle Luke’s martial arts training club, a place where people of all ages and different backgrounds came for Luke’s classes. Ben was Luke’s apprentice, training to be a karate teacher.

“We used to rough-house and play-fight when I was a kid, we had a great bond,” Ben began, “and from a very young age, my uncle began showing me some basic karate moves, my interest of which carried on into adolescence.”

* * *

Rey listened intently, fascinated, picturing Ben doing some kick-ass karate moves, a sight which she was very interested in seeing in the future.

“When he opened his training club, he asked me if I wanted to train as his apprentice. Of course, I jumped at the chance. The first few years were great. I really felt like we had a good thing going, you know?”

Rey sensed a negative turn in the story coming, “So… what happened?”

“I was working late one night, you know, in one of the training rooms, practising some moves. I always wanted to excel, I wanted to be better than the best. I wanted to show Luke how much I was prepared to put in, how hard I was willing to work. He’d gone home a little while earlier that evening, left me the keys to lock up. So I’m in the training room, doing my thing, and then I smell… the burning.”

“Burning?”

“I go out into the hallway and see smoke billowing out of the kitchen. We had this little kitchen, you see, with a stove and everything.”

“Oh no,” Rey exclaimed, her blood pumping with adrenaline.

“I open the kitchen door and… it just hits me, the heat, the flames, the smoke. it knocked me for six. Ended up passing out from smoke inhalation. Next time I woke up, I was in the hospital.”

“My god,” Rey cupped her hand to her mouth, “so… so what happened? I mean… were you okay?”

Ben’s eyes moved downward, following the movements of his fingers as they traced the pattern on his duvet. “Yeah, I mean, I was in hospital for a few days, no serious damage. I get this bad cough sometimes, but…”

Rey waited patiently as she saw Ben almost tearing up. The hand which wasn’t aimlessly tracing patterns moved up to cover his eyes, supposedly to hide his emotions. It felt totally natural for Rey to reach out and gently hold Ben’s hand as he was clearly struggling to get through his story.

Rey understood how important it was not to interrupt someone when they were trying to process their thoughts and feelings, when all they needed was for someone to just… listen. And be there.

Eventually, Ben composed himself enough to speak again. “The club was completely burned down. Luke had insurance, no big deal in that sense really,” Ben sniffled, “but the real damage came when the fire marshalls informed us that the fire had been started due to an electrical appliance. The stove had been left on, supposedly. Uncle Luke couldn’t forgive it…”

“It was an honest mistake,” Rey offered in consolation, trying to sympathise with Ben.

Ben’s eyes shot up to her, bloodshot from crying, “No, you don’t understand. That’s just it. It wasn’t my mistake!” Ben bellowed.

“Oh…” Rey replied, feeling witless at her assumption.

“He blamed me,” Ben explained, his lip quivering, “he was adamant I was the one who’d left the stove on and caused the fire. But it wasn’t me, Rey, you have to believe me…” Ben exclaimed erratically.

“It’s okay, Ben, don’t worry… I believe you,” she soothed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to impart some of her tranquility.

“You do?”

“If you say that’s the truth, then… I’ve no reason to doubt it.”

* * *

Ben felt overwhelmed with Rey’s tenderness and kindness. A short moment passed before he spoke again, by now his hands gripped tightly onto hers, “I never used the stove. I used the coffee maker from time to time, but that was it. That’s how I know it wasn’t me. Luke frequently had dinner at the club. Stuff he’d make at home or buy in and re-heat. He claimed he hadn’t been near the kitchen that night, but… Rey, I can’t even tell you how many times I found the stove on and Luke had forgotten. He isn’t the young man he used to be and I think he forgets that sometimes.”

“Didn’t this ever get resolved?” Rey enquired gently.

“No… it caused a massive dispute between us. Nobody ever wanted to take the blame for it. My mom got involved. She couldn’t stand seeing us fighting about it. She tried to help us by acting as some kind of medium, but eventually Luke got pissed off, telling my mom that he couldn’t believe his own sister was against him.”

Rey stayed quiet as Ben tried to gauge her reaction, but he was getting nothing from her. He began panicking; maybe she was judging him, or didn’t really believe him after all? _No, come on, keep it together, she said she believed you. Why would she lie? Maybe cos everyone else does? To get to hear the juicy details? Shut up… she’s nice, she seems genuine,_ Ben battled with his inner monologue.

A saddened frown crept onto Rey’s face, “I’m so sorry Ben.” She gave Ben’s hand a little squeeze in solace. _Phew._

  
Ben relaxed as he continued, “She was just trying to help, you know? She didn’t wanna get caught in the middle. She put it out there that maybe uncle Luke was a little more absent-minded than he’d care to admit and perhaps forgot about the stove. But all Luke saw was her choosing her son over her brother, and that was the nail in the coffin for him. He just upped and went.”

“Where did he go?”

“No idea. He just disappeared one day, shortly after the fire. Turned his back on the whole family. No-one knows how to find him.”

“And no-one’s heard from him since?”

“Nope.”

“Damn… that’s rough. I can’t even imagine. I guess you’ve tried Facebook and all of that?”

“To be honest with you, Rey, I haven’t. I figure, if he doesn’t wanna be found, he doesn’t wanna be found. We can’t force him.”

Another moment passed as Rey’s head slowly bobbed forward in an understanding nod, her gaze shifting from Ben, moving to nothing more than staring into space, getting caught up in her thoughts, Ben assumed.

“How are things with your mum now?” she asked gently. 

“Difficult. I mean, I’m grateful she believed me and wanted to help, but after Luke left, things became a little strained. We drifted apart, I could feel it. I don’t think she blamed me as such, but I think she feels that if none of this had ever happened, her brother would still be around, and I know she misses him,” Ben faltered.

* * *

Rey could feel Ben's tension rolling off him in waves and, as calm as she was, she felt herself being pulled uncontrollably into his whirlwind of emotions. This freaked her out as she prided herself on keeping her emotional responses to others in check. But… something about Ben Solo seemed to make that impossible, that much was clear. 

She gave his hand a tight squeeze, sensing that was what he needed in that moment. As he began to relax with her, Rey felt his tensions ebb away, the longer their hands remained entwined, the chaotic outward tide beginning to dispel.

A comfortable silence now filled the room. The kind of silence which should have two individuals who barely know each other awkwardly staring around the room, giggling nervously, trying to sneak sideway glances and panicking when they make any eye contact. Instead, things just felt… natural. For her anyway. 

Ben had shifted closer to her, his head resting on her shoulder, his body slumped snugly against her. She laid her head atop his in reciprocation, sighing happily, musing over how intimate and normal this felt, likening it to close lifelong friends, or something even deeper.

"This is nice," she whispered and she sensed Ben smiling in agreement. 

The moment felt peaceful and Rey allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of security she experienced with Ben. She knew what was happening. There was no point denying it - she was quickly becoming addicted to how being with Ben Solo made her feel. 

She turned to look at him when she felt his head moving to glance up at her, his eyes bold and glittering as they locked onto hers like a magnet, slow deliberate blinks through the few strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes. Rey’s lips parted, her tongue dipping out to dab at her dry lips, emitting a lengthy exhale, her heart thudding heavily before Ben slowly leaned in, his breath just as ragged as hers.

He stopped, looking up at her again, eyes hopeful as if seeking permission to continue. His fingers found their way to her chin, delicately caressing her as he gently pulled her face forward. He stopped again, the anticipation almost too much for Rey to bear.

She felt his warm breath on her, causing goosebumps to spread over her skin, an intense tingling sensation in her nipples, a fire in her belly and a pleasurable but almost painful ache between her legs.

“Rey…” he purred.

Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him tightly into her body, feeling his corresponding arousal, pressing hard into her thigh. “Ben…” she responded.

“Please… can I?” he murmured.

Sensing what he was about to ask and what they both clearly wanted and needed, she took control, pressing her lips hungrily into his, a kiss so passionate and urgent, her whole being trembled, feeling Ben moan into her mouth, his hand finding its way to her hip, before he pulled her beneath him, encompassing her with his entire frame.

**Author's Note:**

> There will never ever be enough thanks or ways to show my gratitude for the continuous support and morale-boosting given to me so selflessly from [RubyBakeneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyBakeneko) especially at my lowest moments when I felt like giving up. You know what all this means to me <3
> 
> Also massive thanks to [LJ_Pynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJ_Pynn) for taking time out to double-check/proof-read/beta this as well for me, and for further encouragement when things felt shit.


End file.
